bombastic

adjective

bom·​bas·​tic bäm-ˈba-stik 

: marked by or given to speech or writing that is given exaggerated importance by artificial or empty means : marked by or given to bombast : pompous, overblown

The spots that ran before the title game were even more bombastic: "The greatest rivalry ever …"

—Franz Lidz

bombastically

bäm-ˈba-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of bombastic

• rhetorical
• inflated
• pontifical

Examples of bombastic in a Sentence

a bombastic speech intended to impress the voters in her congressional district

Recent Examples on the Web

Smith’s ever-present sense of destiny, her mystical optimism, and her penchant for rebellion make for reminiscences that can sound at once bombastic and humble, half-invented and visceral. —Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025

The official trailer is nearly three minutes long and is stuffed with bombastic special effects, intense emotion (a lot of tears), plenty of action and one mean Vecna. —James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025

As much as personality appears to rule the day — Trump is a New York billionaire developer whose bombastic style captured the souls of discontented rural Americans — the 2028 presidential race might come down to simple, timeworn economic forces. —Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025

Whereas the original movie was low-budget and had an amateur, homemade feel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 became a bombastic, larger-than-life spectacle. —Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

bombast + -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bombastic

• aplastic
• dynastic
• dysplastic
• elastic
• fantastic
• gymnastic
• monastic
• sarcastic
• scholastic
• silastic
• stochastic
• aeroelastic